Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Pearl — Themes in The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Themes in The Pearl by John Steinbeck
- Categories: The Pearl
About this sample
Words: 971 |
Published: Aug 1, 2024
Words: 971 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read
Table of contents
Wealth and greed: the destructive pursuit of material possessions, the corrupting influence of power and authority, the inherent goodness and evil in human nature, bibliography.
Cite this Essay
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:
Let us write you an essay from scratch
- 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
- Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Get high-quality help
Dr. Karlyna PhD
Verified writer
- Expert in: Literature
+ 120 experts online
By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email
No need to pay just yet!
Related Essays
2 pages / 778 words
4 pages / 1803 words
2.5 pages / 1208 words
2 pages / 1022 words
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.
121 writers online
Still can’t find what you need?
Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled
Related Essays on The Pearl
In Chapter 5 of John Steinbeck's novel, "The Pearl," the protagonist, Kino, experiences a series of events that test his will and determination. This chapter delves deeper into the consequences of finding the pearl and the [...]
Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2003). John Steinbeck's "The Pearl". Infobase Publishing.Campbell, M. (2016). Greed in John Steinbeck's "The Pearl". The Explicator, 74(2), 122-124.Davis, R. L. (2015). John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" and His [...]
This story is about kino finding a pearl and the effects of this. Kino and juana are the main characters of the story and want to change their poor life circumstances to a wealthier lifestyle when they found the pearl. They [...]
Have you ever found yourself captivated by a story that delves deep into the complexities of human nature and the pursuit of wealth? John Steinbeck's novella, "The Pearl," is a timeless tale that explores themes of greed, [...]
“It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough, and you must be very tactful with Gods or the gods.” The Pearl, short story written by John Steinbeck, the author in [...]
In John Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl, the pursuit of wealth and its destructive power takes center stage. Set in a small coastal village in Mexico, the story follows the impoverished pearl diver, Kino, as he discovers a [...]
Related Topics
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Where do you want us to send this sample?
By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.
Be careful. This essay is not unique
This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before
Download this Sample
Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts
Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.
Please check your inbox.
We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!
Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!
We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .
- Instructions Followed To The Letter
- Deadlines Met At Every Stage
- Unique And Plagiarism Free
- Ask LitCharts AI
- Discussion Question Generator
- Essay Prompt Generator
- Quiz Question Generator
- Literature Guides
- Poetry Guides
- Shakespeare Translations
- Literary Terms
John Steinbeck
The plot of The Pearl is driven by a constant struggle between the morally opposite forces of good and evil. Evil in The Pearl can appear in both man ( the doctor ) and nature ( the scorpion ); both evil man (the doctor) and good man ( Kino ); both ugly shape (the scorpion) and beautiful shape ( the pearl ). While the scorpion’s evil takes the form of lethal poison, man’s evil throughout the novel takes the form of overriding greed. The doctor, for instance, is evil because he acts upon greed over human care and professional responsibility. Similarly, the neighbors are evil when they act upon greed over neighborly respect, and Kino is evil when he acts upon greed over love for his wife.
Evil in the novel is an omnipotent, destructive force. One must either bear it (as in the case of the scorpion) or avoid it (as in the case of the pearl), because to combat it only breeds more evil. When Kino tries to fight off the thieves and protect the pearl, for instance, he ends up committing acts of evil himself, on both the thieves and his wife. Kino does destroy the evil-bearers that act to harm his family—he squashes the scorpion, kills the trackers, throws the pearl into the ocean—but he only succeeds in doing so after the evil has run its course and the poison has already seeped in.
Good vs. Evil ThemeTracker
Good vs. Evil Quotes in The Pearl
The essence of pearl mixed with the essence of men and a curious dark residue was precipitated. Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, and Kino’s pearl went into the dreams, the speculations, the schemes…of everyone, and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy.
“I hope thou wilt remember to give thanks, my son, to Him who has given thee this treasure, and to pray for guidance in the future.”
“Who do you fear?” Kino searched for a true answer, and at last he said, “Everyone.” And he could feel a shell of hardness drawing over him.
All of the neighbors hoped that sudden wealth would not turn Kino’s head, would not make a rich man of him, would not graft onto him the evil limbs of greed and hatred and coldness. For Kino was a well-liked man; it would be a shame if the pearl destroyed him.
But there was no sign, no movement, the face did not change, but the secret hand behind the desk missed in its precision. The coin stumbled over a knuckle and slipped silently into the dealer’s lap.
“I am afraid. A man can be killed. Let us throw the pearl back into the sea.” “Hush,” he said fiercely. “I am a man. Hush.”
A dead man in the path and Kino’s knife, dark bladed beside him, convinced her. All of the time Juana had been trying to rescue something of the old peace, of the time before the pearl. But now it was gone, and there was no retrieving it.
The killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat. For a boat does not have sons, and a boat cannot protect itself, and a wounded boat does not heal.
And then Kino laid the rifle down, and he dug among his clothes, and then he held the great pearl in his hand. He looked into its surface and it was gray and ulcerous. Evil faces peered from it into his eyes, and he saw the light of burning.
- Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
However, his refusal to acknowledge the evil the pearl brings to his family and their neighbors arises out of his own desire for more than what he already has. His insistence on achieving the future the pearl makes possible shows that the pearl’s value has already perverted him.
This essay will analyze the theme of greed in "The Pearl" and its implications, drawing from credible sources to support the argument that unchecked greed leads to destruction and loss. Say no to plagiarism.
Greed Is the Root of All Evil. This moral, preached by St. Augustine and many others after him, is found in the New Testament in Paul’s first epistle to Timothy ( 1 Timothy 6:10 ). Kino’s investment of spiritual value in a pearl, an object of material wealth, may be misguided from the start.
Steinbeck skillfully illustrates how the allure of money can corrupt even the most well-intentioned individuals, driving them to desperate and selfish acts. The novel serves as a stark reminder that greed knows no bounds and can fracture personal relationships and destabilize society at large.
By examining the destructive power of greed, the corrupting influence of power, and the delicate balance between goodness and evil, The Pearl forces readers to confront the darker aspects of human nature while also encouraging introspection.
The lesson of The Pearl can be stated numerous ways: A man can lose all that he truly values if he becomes obsessed with wealth. Greed corrupts and opens the door to evil.
Good versus evil: Kino begins the novel blissfully unaware of the evil in the world. However, after discovering the pearl, he is exposed to all manners of greed and corruption.
While the scorpion’s evil takes the form of lethal poison, man’s evil throughout the novel takes the form of overriding greed. The doctor, for instance, is evil because he acts upon greed over human care and professional responsibility.
The Pearl is a novella by the American author John Steinbeck. The story, first published in 1947, [citation needed] follows a pearl diver, Kino, and explores man’s purpose as well as greed, defiance of societal norms, and evil.
Summary: The main theme in The Pearl by John Steinbeck is the corrupting influence of wealth. The novella illustrates how the discovery of the pearl brings out greed, envy, and evil in the...